Clutch for adjustable stools or the like



I c. R. UHL. CLUTCH FOR ADJUSTABLE STOOLS OR THE LIKE. APPLICATION HLEDJUNE]. 1922.

Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

MTiFiImm gm al INYEN T UH M4. 2%

Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

' l liTii' dTA as an CLEMENT R. UI-IL, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THETOLEDO METAL FURNITURE COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A,CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CLUTCH FOR ADJUSTABLE STOOLS OR THE LIKE.

Continuation of application Serial No. 446,083, filed February 18, 1921.This application filed June 7, 1922. Serial No. 566,676.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLEMENT R. UHL, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucasand State of Ohio, have made an invention appertain ing to Clutches forAdjustable Stools or the like; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in, the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thecharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to releasable clutch means for verticallyadjustable chairs, stools, tables, or the like, and particularly tothose commonly known as the revolving type in which the seat or topmember is free to revolve with respect to the pedestal member.

The object of my invention is the provision of a simple and efficientclutch con-- struction of the class described, which is adapted tofirmly hold the top member against lowering relative to the pedestalmember from any adjusted position and at the same time is automaticallyoperable to permit a raising of the top member relative to the pedestalmember when a raising pressure is applied to the former and the latteris held against raising. Further objects and advantages of the inventionwill be apparent from the following detailed description thereof.

The invention is fully described in. the following specification, andwhile, in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerousforms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stool. embodying the invention with apart broken away. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of the stoolshaft and bearing sleeve therefor. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view ofthe lever member of the clutch, and i is a cross-section of the seatshaft and bearing sleeve onthe line 4-4; in Fig. 1 with parts removed. I

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the pedestal member of a stool,which may be of any suitable form and construction, and in the presentinstance comprises four legs 2, joined at their upper ends to a verticalguide sleeve The legs are laterally braced and strengthened below theirjoined ends by a bracing means 4. This form of pedestal is old in theart and, nothing new is claimed therefor. 4

The seat member 5 of the stool has a shaft or stem 6 rigidly projectinga desired distance downward from its central portion, and carried bythis shaft is a combined bearing and clutch sleeve 7. This sleevepreferably is substantially co-extensive in length with the downwardlyprojecting portion of the shaft and has its upper end in bearing thrustcontact with a stationary thrust collar or shaft carrying spider 8 onthe under side of the seat through the medium of a plurality of loose orrelatively rotatable bearing collars 9, the center one of which may beof hard pressed fibre. The shaft 6 at its lower end has a U-shapedmember 10 fixedly inserted therein with its legs projecting below theshaft end and bent outward under the bottom of a flanged collar 11 tocooperate therewith to retain the sleeve 7 on the shaft in a looserotatable manner. It is therefore evident that the shaft 6 and sleeve 7,while connected for free relative movements, are caused to have axialmovements together.

The sleeve 7 projects downward through the pedestal sleeve 3 for freeaxial movements relative thereto. The sleeve 7 is provided on one sidethereof throughout its length with a longitudinally extending rib 12,provided, in the present instance, by an outward bulging of the sleeveat such point. This rib extends down through a registering recess in thepedestal sleeve to prevent a relative turning of the two sleeves- 3 and7. The rib has a plurality of notches or incuts 13 provided inlongitudinally spaced rela tion therein. Any one of these notches may beengaged by a clutch lever 14 to cooperate therewith to retain thebearing sleeve 7 in longitudinally adjusted position with respect to thepedestal.

The clutch lever 14, in the present instance, is of Y form with itsforked portion straddling the bearingsleeve 7 below the pedestal sleeve3 in position for its crotch 15 to engage in a registering notch 13 ofthe bearing sleeve. The free ends of the fork arms of the lever areinwardly turned to form trunnions 16, which are fulcrumed in suitablebearings provided in a plate 17 carried by the lower end of the pedestalsleeve 3' in encircling relation thereto. The plate 17 at the oppositeside of the sleeve 7 is provided with an ear 18 between which and thehandle portion of the lever 14 is disposed a coiled expansion spring 19to normally'urge a movement of the lever into clutch engagement with aregistering sleeve notch 13, as is apparent. The handle end of the levermay be swung upward against the tension of the spring 19 to release itscrotch 15 from looking engagement with a notch 18.

It is evident in the use of a stool, chair, table, or the like,embodying my invention, that the seat or top member thereof may beeasily and quickly raised to any desired position within its range ofadjustment by simply lifting upward thereon while the pedestal member isheld down or in stationary position by the feet, or otherwise, the lever11 slipping out of engagement with and past the successive notchesduring the applied raising pull The seat is firmly supported in anyposition of adjustment by reason of the engagement Of the lever crotchwith a notch 13 in the sleeve 7, and the seat can only be lowered fromsuch raised position by a manual movement of the clutch lever 14 toreleased position.

One of the objections to the use of stools of the class described andshown herein is the fact that the seat postorstandard 7 which supportsthe seat and extends down through the customary bearing sleeve or holeof the pedestal invariably is loose in the bearing sleeve or hole andpermits a limited. rocking or wobbling movement of the seat with respectto the pedestal. lVith the form ot clutch which I employ this wobblingaction is entirely eliminated as a downward pressure on the seat post orstandard 7 will exert a. downward thrust at one side thereof on theclutch lever 14. and this downward thrust will then be communicatedthrough the lever to the pedestal'at the opposite side of the seat postso that the seat post, when a downward pressure is exerted thereon, willbe firmly held against wobbling in the bearing even though it does nothave a tight fit therein.

I wish it understoodthat my invention is not limited to any specificconstruction, ar-

rangement or form of the parts, as it is ca pable of numerousmodifications and changes, without departing From the spirit oftheclaims.

IIai ing thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is,

1. In an article of the class described, a pedestal having a verticalbearing, a top member having a supporting standard guided by thepedestal bearing for vertical reciprocatory movements, said standardhaving a series of longitudinally spaced notches in one side thereof, aninclined forked lever straddling the standard below the pedestal bearingand fulcrumed to the pedestal at the side of the standard opposed to itsnotches and adapted to have its crotch portion normally engage with aregistering notch to support the standard in any position of verticaladjustment, and means acting on the lever to yieldingly retain it inclutch engagement with the standard.

2. In an article of the class described, a pedestal having a verticalbearing sleeve, a second sleeve mounted in the bearing sleeve forlongitudinal adjustment therein and having a notched longitudinallyextending rib at one side thereof, a top member rotatably carried by thesecond sleeve, a forked lever straddling the second sleeve below thebearing sleeve with its crotch in position to engage the rib notches andwith its fulcrum at the opposite side of the second sleeve, a memberfixedly carried by the pedestal and forming a fulcrum for the lever, andmeans interposed between the fulcrum member and lever to normally retainthe lever in clutch engagement with the secondsleeve. v

3. In an article of the class described, apedestal having a verticalbearing, a post mounted in said bearing for longitudinal adjustmenttherein, and a clutch member releasably engaged ,to the post below thebearingat one side thereof and extending.

across the post on an upward incline and connected to the hearing at theopposite side of the post. I

4. In an article of the class described, a] pedestal having a verticalbearing, a post mounted for vertical movements in the hearing and havingvertically spaced notches in a side thereof, a clutch lever fulcrumed tothe pedestal at the opposite side of its bearing to the post notches andextending downward therefrom across the post and having a part forreleasable engagement with a notch in the post to support the post in"adusted position and to prevent lateral'movement ot the post in itshearing when a downward pressure is exerted on the post.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to thisspecification.

CLEMENT R. Unit.

